1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to card games and, in particular, to casino and the like card games wherein players bet on hands of cards dealt to them by a dealer. The present invention provides a novel card game method and apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A standard deck of playing cards typically has 52 cards, including four of each of the following cards: aces; twos through tens; jacks; queens; and kings. Standard decks typically also include two jokers which are not usually used in certain games.
A great variety of games are known in the art wherein a dealer hands out a set of cards to each player. Two well known card games are Black Jack and Poker. As with most card games, there are a large number of versions of both Black Jack and Poker known in the art.
Additional exemplary card games are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,087 (Shen et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,107 (Boylan et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,633 (Boylan et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,128 (Marquez); U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,295 (Cabot et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,265 (Miller et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,682 (Otuzbiryan); U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,514 (Nguyen et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,486 (Mkrtchyan); U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,755 (Gutierrez); U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,524 (Wisted); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,012 (So et al.). These patents show a variety of games, including, among other things, card games using tables with peripheral player areas and a centrally located dealer area.
As one example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,087 shows a casino game wherein the players and the dealer each receive four cards that are scored by splitting them into two “HIGH” groups. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,128 shows a multiple hand variation of the card game HI-LO poker wherein players are dealt six cards that are divided into a one-card “HIGH” hand, a two-card “HIGH” hand, and a three-card “LOW” hand. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,514 shows a method of playing a card game using a deck of 360 cards from 15 modified decks, wherein the card game is played according to either a “HIGH” winning scheme or a “LOW” winning scheme. As yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,295 shows a multiple hand card game wherein the players are dealt supplemental cards with the desired goal of attaining a value higher than that of the dealer without exceeding a value of, for example, 21.
Although there are a great many games known in the art, there remains a continued need for games that are enjoyable for players of all skill levels and that are economically and functionally desirable for casino use.